Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Botswana
You have ashes in Botswana and need to bring them home. This page covers what Botswana requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Botswana require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: GBE (Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Gaborone); MUB (Maun Airport, Okavango Delta gateway)
Carriers serving the UK: South African Airways (via Johannesburg to London Heathrow); British Airways (via Johannesburg); Air Botswana
Authority that must release the case: Department of Forensic Pathology, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone
The rules that apply on any route, and what you may do with ashes once home, are covered in bringing ashes into the UK.
What are the airline rules for carrying ashes?
What does Botswana require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Botswana due to religious or legal reasons. If you are dealing with ashes from a previous cremation held elsewhere, the export rules may differ. Contact us for guidance specific to your situation.
What affects the cost?
Carrying ashes home yourself is the least expensive way to bring someone back from Botswana, and for many families it costs little more than the return flight they are already taking. We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.
| What changes the cost | Why |
|---|---|
| Whether the cremation has already taken place | Arranging it locally adds funeral director and crematorium involvement |
| Where the death happened | Distance to the nearest crematorium changes local transfer |
| Carrying versus shipping | Hand luggage costs nothing extra; a specialist courier is a separate arrangement |
| Documentation Botswana requires | Export permits and translation, where they apply |
Send us the details of your situation and we will give you a figure, with no obligation.
What else is worth knowing about Botswana?
Botswana is a Commonwealth country; the British High Commission in Gaborone handles consular cases; Botswana is one of Africa's premier high-end safari destinations with a significant and growing British tourist presence, particularly in the Okavango Delta (Moremi Game Reserve, private concessions) and Chobe National Park; The Okavango Delta has no road access; all movement within the delta is by small aircraft, mokoro (dugout canoe), or motorboat; deaths in delta bush camps require helicopter or charter aircraft evacuation to Maun Airport, which is the gateway town for Okavango; Maun Hospital has basic capacity but complex cases transfer to Gaborone; Botswana is landlocked; all international cargo routing is via Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in South Africa, or via Nairobi; British Airways and South African Airways operate the Johannesburg-London Heathrow route which is the most reliable cargo pathway; English is the official business language of Botswana; all administrative and medical documentation is in English, which simplifies the translation requirements considerably; Chobe National Park (near Kasane) is another major British tourist area; the nearest hospital with post-mortem capability is at Kasane or Francistown; bodies requiring full forensic post-mortem transfer to Gaborone
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Botswana
Official support
British Embassy in Botswana: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Department of Forensic Pathology, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Botswana
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Botswana
Tell us where the ashes are now and where home is. We will explain what is needed and send you a quote. We send ashes home to the UK, Ireland or any other country.